Repositionable Mailbox Drawer

ABSTRACT

This present invention discloses a mailbox with a pull-out mailbox insert. The mailbox includes a housing, a post, a door, a flag and a pull-out mailbox insert. The pull-out mailbox insert is designed in such a way to offer easy retrieval of delivered post, even when it is pushed to the back of the mailbox. The insert features a series of tabs designed to prevent the insert from sliding too far back into the mailbox, and utilizes a rolling assembly on the bottom of the insert to conveniently slide it out from the mailbox interior when a small tab is pulled. In use, the device effectively enables easy retrieval of mail without having to reach far out of the window and create strain on the body.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S.Provisional Application No. 62/887,715, which was filed on Aug. 16, 2019and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates generally to mailboxes and deliveryreceptacles for home or consumer use. Specifically, the presentinvention relates to a curb, walkway, portico, house mounted or streetside mailbox or other receptacle having a movable mailbox insert, thatis slidable in at least a longitudinal direction for depositing andretrieving mail and other delivered items. The mailbox insert isoutwardly extensible and moves in a telescoping manner from its housingfor access by postal workers, delivery persons, residents, otherauthorized personnel, which when mounted near a roadway, permits thedelivery personnel to remain in their vehicles while making thedelivery, or if mounted near a house or walkway allows the deliverypersonnel to insert the delivery in the receptacle without having toleave the delivery. More specifically, the present invention relates toan extendable and retractable mailbox insert that is mountable within,and repositionable with respect to, a mailbox or receptacle forreceiving mail, packages and other deliveries. Accordingly, the presentspecification makes specific reference to improvements in deliveryreceptacles. However, it is to be appreciated that aspects of thepresent invention are also equally amenable to other applications,devices and methods of manufacture or use.

In almost every country, postal mail and other deliveries (e.g.,newspapers, advertising inserts, packages, etc.) is delivered to onetype of receptacle or another. These receptacles are well knownstructures that may be connected to upstanding mailbox posts, disposedon a beam, either singly or with other boxes, supported from hooks orother vertical supports, that may be positioned adjacent to a street,walkway or roadway, or on a wall such as may be found in a portico. Thereceptacle or box utilizes an outwardly opening door that faces thedirection that access to the box is provided such as in the direction ofthe roadway or walkway, particularly in those suburban or rural areaswherein each residence is provided with its own independent mailbox. Inthe United States, for example, mail receptacles may be of manydifferent varieties including, without limitation, multiple compartmenttroughs such as those used with apartment houses, door slots for citydelivery, wall-mounted centralized mailboxes for city delivery, andcurbside mailboxes for rural, highway contract, and city delivery.

The United States Postal Service (“USPS”) maintains particularregulations regarding mailbox sizes and installation, namely thoseestablished in USPS-STD-7B01 as amended. For example, such regulationsprovide that customer mail receptacles must be placed so they can besafely and conveniently served by postal carriers and where suchmailboxes are on a roadway way, the mailbox must be disposed at acertain height from the road surface so that the mailbox may be openedand accessed without leaving their vehicles. Curbside mailbox should beinstalled with the bottom of the box at a vertical height of between41-45 inches from the road surface and with the mailbox door at adistance of six to eight inches from the front face of the curb or edgeof the roadway where no curb is present. Traditional and contemporarydesigns for mailboxes must meet minimum capacity requirements tested byinsertion and removal of a standard test gauge which measures 18.50″long×5.00″ wide×6.00″ high. These regulations and setbacks are meant toensure that the mail delivery person has reasonable access to themailbox without leaving his or her vehicle, and to reduce the likelihoodthat the mail delivery person will strike the mailbox or supportingstructure with his or her vehicle. However, as explained below,traditional curbside mailboxes suffer from a number of limitations inpractical application.

Traditional curbside mailbox units are typically comprised of asemi-cylindrical, square or other approved geometrical shaped, rigidhousing that is fixedly attached atop a post that extends from theground surface a desired height or a height that is specified by U.S.Postal Service regulation, as mentioned above. Additionally, a door ishingedly attached to a front end of the housing for accessing theinterior of the same. Individuals who want to deliver or receive mail ora parcel from the curbside mailbox must reach into the mailbox toretrieve the item. More specifically, in delivering the mail, the postalservice or other courier employee normally opens the door of the mailboxhousing and deposits the mail or packages therein. Similarly, the ownerof the mailbox must then open the door and extend his/her arm into theinterior of the mailbox to search the entire enclosure for the depositedmail or package by feel or by visual inspection to retrieve the mail.

Additionally, it is oftentimes difficult for a person in a vehicle toretrieve the contents of a curbside mailbox because the individual mustbe capable of strategically maneuvering his or her vehicle close enoughto reach into the mailbox to retrieve the contents, but also avoidstriking the curb, the mailbox or supporting structure with his or hervehicle which could damage the curb, the mailbox, structure and/or thevehicle, and be expensive and time consuming to repair. Alternatively,the individual must first exit their vehicle, walk to the mailbox anddepost or retrieve the article from the curbside mailbox, which is bothtime consuming and may also be dangerous as it requires the individualto be standing in the street to open the mailbox door thereby exposingthe individual to oncoming traffic.

Further, when letters, envelopes, small packages and the like aredelivered to a curbside mailbox, the items may be shoved toward the backof the interior of the mailbox. Therefore, recipients trying to retrievetheir delivered mail can experience difficulty and be forced to reachfar inside the mailbox to pull out the item, which is difficult to dofrom within a vehicle and may result in the individual having to exittheir vehicle to do so which exposes the individual to the roadsidehazards referenced above.

Therefore, there exists a long felt need in the art for a curbside orother installed mailbox location that allows individuals to both placeitems in the mailbox or receptacle and retrieve items from the mailboxor receptacle relatively easily, and when disposed near the road orcurb, without having to exit the individual's vehicle thereby increasingsafety. There is also a long felt need in the art for a mailbox havingan outwardly slideable or telescoping housing for retrieving mail andother items from the mailbox or receptacle without exposing the same tothe elements, such as rain, snow, sleet and the like or substantiallydiminishing the interior volume for receiving mail or packages.Additionally, there is also a long felt need in the art for a mailbox orreceptacle having an outwardly slideable or telescoping housing that isprevented from over extending/retracting relative to the edge of themailbox housing. Finally, there is a long felt need in the art for acurbside mailbox that does not require the user to position his or hervehicle as close to the mailbox structure as with prior art curbsidemailboxes, thereby lessening the risk of damaging the user's vehicleand/or curbside mailbox.

The present invention, in one exemplary embodiment, is an improvedmailbox comprised of a pull-out or telescoping insert or housing that isdesigned to offer easy retrieval of delivered post or packages, evenwhen the same is pushed to the rear of the mailbox by the deliveringparty, and that protects the contents from becoming exposed to theelements such as rain, sleet and snow. More specifically, therepositionable mailbox insert is comprised of a pull out tray having aroof or cover placed over the same to shield or otherwise protect thecontents from the elements, a plurality of rollers or sliders positionedor disposed along the underside or sides of the pull out tray for easyrepositioning of the same, and a plurality of tabs or stops designed toprevent the pull out tray from becoming overly extended and/or retractedrelative to the mailbox housing.

In a further exemplary embodiment, a receptacle is provided with atelescoping insert and includes, a receptacle having a first interiordimension and an insert having a second interior dimension less than thefirst dimension. The insert is wholly contained within the receptacle.The insert is movable in a longitudinal direction from a first closedposition from within the receptacle to a second accessible position atleast partially externally extending from the receptacle. The receptacleand insert having one or more tabs or stops cooperatively engaging toprevent the insert from being fully removed from the receptacle.

In a still further exemplary embodiment of the presently describedinvention, method of using a mailbox with a slideable insert comprisingthe steps of initially providing a mailbox having a slidable insert, themailbox has a first dimension and the slidable insert has a seconddimension less than the first dimension. The slidable insert is whollycontained within the mailbox. In use, the insert outwardly in alongitudinal direction to a first position and mail, parcels or packagesis deposited on the insert. Then the insert is moved inwardly in alongitudinal direction to a second position fully within the mailbox.

In use, the pull-out mailbox insert effectively enables a vehicle driverto easily deliver or a consumer or home owner to retrieve items from acurbside mailbox without having to reach too far outside of the vehiclewindow and strain his or her body, and without exposing the contents ofthe mailbox to the elements. The mailbox of the present inventiondisclosed herein also increases safety by increasing the amount ofdistance required between the vehicle and the mailbox for successfulretrieval of the mail, and eliminating the need for the user to have toexit his or her vehicle to access the curbside mailbox. In this manner,the curbside mailbox of the present invention accomplishes all of theforgoing objectives, thereby improving the ability of a user tosuccessfully and safely access and receive or deliver any mail orparcel.

SUMMARY

The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basicunderstanding of some aspects of the disclosed innovation. This summaryis not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identifykey/critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its solepurpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude tothe more detailed description that is presented later.

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types ofcurbside mailbox devices now present in the prior art, the presentinvention provides a novel pull-out mailbox insert and slider mechanism,wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the userwhen accessing rural or suburban mailboxes along roadways, walkways orother areas where the mailbox or receptacle may be positioned. It istherefore an object of the present invention to provide a new andimproved curbside mailbox assembly that has all of the advantages of theprior art, without suffering from some of the disadvantages of priorstructures.

The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodimentthereof, comprises an extendable insert for a mailbox or deliveryreceptacle. More specifically, the mailbox is preferably comprised of arigid housing and a pull-out insert designed to offer easy depositingand retrieval of delivered mail or parcels, even when the mail is pushedto the rear of the mailbox by the delivery person. The pull-out mailboxinsert features a geometric housing having a plurality of tabs and/orspacers that are designed to prevent the mailbox insert from sliding toofar back into the mailbox or from the insert falling out of thereceptacle when being accessed.

The mailbox insert further comprises a rolling assembly on the bottom ofthe insert to conveniently slide the insert in and out of the mailboxinterior in a generally longitudinal direction. In use, the inserteffectively enables the delivery personnel to easily deposit the mailand packages and intended recipient to retrieve their mail and otherparcels from a curbside mailbox without having to either reach too farout of the vehicle window, which could result in a strain on the body orthe recipient from having to fully extend their reach into theenclosure. Furthermore, the generally geometrical shape, e.g. square,rectangular, semi-cylindrical, etc. of the mailbox insert protects themail and other parcels positioned on the insert from the elements, likerain, snow, sleet and the like, as the mailbox insert is pulled out ofthe mailbox housing for retrieval by the intended recipient or deliverypersonnel.

The mailbox device of the present invention is also intended to satisfythe standards and specifications of the U.S. Postal Service, andpotentially reduces the likelihood of a user's vehicle coming intodirect contact with the mailbox, which could damage the vehicle and/orthe mailbox, by bringing the mail closer to the user in the vehicle onlywhen needed (e.g., during the delivery or retrieval of the mail).

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certainillustrative aspects of the disclosed innovation are described herein inconnection with the following description and the annexed drawings.These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various waysin which the principles disclosed herein can be employed and is intendedto include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other advantages andnovel features will become apparent from the following detaileddescription when considered in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The description refers to provided drawings in which similar referencecharacters refer to similar parts throughout the different views, and inwhich:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of one possible embodiment of themailbox device of the present invention and having a repositionablesliding or telescoping insert in closed condition of the presentinvention in accordance with the disclosed invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of the mailboxhaving a sliding or telescoping insert of the present invention in anopen and extended condition in accordance with the disclosed invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective internal view of one embodiment of themailbox having a sliding or telescoping insert of the present inventionshowing internal parts in accordance with the disclosed invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a bottom view of one embodiment of the mailbox havinga sliding or telescoping insert of the present invention showing rollingassembly in accordance with the disclosed invention; and

FIG. 5 illustrates a side perspective view of one embodiment of themailbox having a sliding insert of the present invention showing easyaccess from a vehicle in accordance with the disclosed invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, whereinlike reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout.In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that the innovationcan be practiced without these specific details. In other instances,well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form inorder to facilitate a description thereof. Various embodiments arediscussed hereinafter. It should be noted that the figures are describedonly to facilitate the description of the embodiments. They do notintend as an exhaustive description of the invention or do not limit thescope of the invention. Additionally, an illustrated embodiment need nothave all the aspects or advantages shown. Thus, in other embodiments,any of the features described herein from different embodiments may becombined.

As noted above, existing mailboxes and delivery receptacles are wellknown in the art for providing an access to mail, post, parcels,packages and the like for the users, both delivery personnel andintended recipients. Such mailboxes or receptacles typically comprise ahousing, a standing post, a door and a flag, but do not include astructure for extending a slidable tray from the housing. Without such astructure, the users have to leave their vehicle in order to access thecontents of the delivery, thereby causing inconvenience to the users.

Accordingly, and as also noted above, there exists in the art a longfelt need for a mailbox structure or device that improves the ability toaccess a mailbox positioned or disposed along the side of a roadway,walkway or at another acceptable location. The present inventiondisclosed includes the ability to extend a mailbox's position from itsfirst attached location on a mailbox post to a second position extendedtherefrom utilizing a sliding or telescoping insert, such that thedistance between the mailbox opening and a postal service vehicle alongthe roadway may be reduced for improved access thereinto. The slidinginsert facilitates delivery personnel with easier access to a user'smailbox, during periods of snow accumulation, flooding which may occurduring heavy rains along curbs, inclement weather and in other instanceswherein ready access to one's mailbox is limited or otherwise impededfrom the adjacent roadway.

The present invention, in one preferred embodiment, is a mailbox with apull-out mailbox insert designed to offer easy retrieval of deliveredpost, parcels, mail, packages or the like, even when it is pushed to theback or innermost section of the mailbox. The pull-out mailbox insertutilizes a rolling assembly on the bottom of the insert to convenientlyslide it out from a first position within the mailbox interior when asmall tab is pulled to a second extended position. Further, a series oftabs are designed to prevent the insert from being fully pulled-out fromthe mailbox or from sliding too far back into the mailbox. In use, thedevice effectively enables vehicle drivers to easily deposit the mail orpackages without having to reach far out of the window and create strainon the body or for the intended recipient from having to reach into theinterior confines of the mailbox, and therefore, maximizing conveniencewhen delivering or retrieving letters and small packages from themailbox.

Referring initially to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a perspectiveview of one embodiment of the mailbox 100 having a sliding mailboxinsert in a closed condition or first position of the present inventionin accordance with the disclosed structure. More specifically, themailbox 100 is preferably comprised of a housing 110; a pull-out mailboxinsert 120 (not shown); a standing post 130; a door 140 and a flag 150.The door 140 is used to close and open the mailbox 100 in order toinsert or retrieve the mail or packages and allow the insert to slidebetween a first and second position. The flag 150 is used to indicate apostman that the mailbox 100 has outgoing mail. When the flag 150 isplaced in the up or out position, the postman should stop to pick up anyoutgoing mail, and further return the flag 150 to the original or downposition signaling there is no longer any outgoing mail for pickup.

The housing 110 for example may have a U-shaped or semi-circular bodycomprising housing back wall 111, a housing left wall 112, a housingright wall 113, a housing top portion or roof 114, a housing interiorportion 115, a housing floor 116, and a rear wheel tab. As shown in FIG.1, the housing 110 with the access door 140 is secured in the closedposition by any suitable latching mechanism, such as a magnet,mechanical fastening latches, hooks or the like. The housing 110 of themailbox 100 in an exemplary embodiment is substantially U-shaped bodyhaving an internal portion 115, which contains the pull-out mailboxinsert 120 (not shown). However, any other shape can also be used toconstruct and design the housing 110 and accordingly the shape ofpull-out mailbox insert 120 likely would also change. Alternatively, thepull-out insert may also have a different shape, for example arectangular tray insert without a roof portion may be used instead of afully semi-circular shaped insert configuration. The insert is alsosized and configured to receive mail, packages and delivery parcels withthe size and configuration of the insert being slightly less than themailbox housing 110. The pull-out must meet minimum capacityrequirements which measures 18.50″ long×5.00″ wide×6.00″ high. It is tobe appreciated that the housing 110 of the present invention can be ofany size and/or shape and is not limited to the depicted illustration.The housing 110 and the pull-out mailbox insert 120 both can beconstructed of metal, plastic or any other known material and ispreferably from a rigid material having other desired properties such asbeing waterproof.

FIG. 2 illustrates perspective view of one embodiment of the mailbox 100having a pull-out mailbox insert 120 of the present invention in an openand extended condition in accordance with the disclosed invention. Theopen and extended condition is equal to a length of less than the lengthor depth of the housing 110 such that the insert fits fully within thehousing 110 when not in use. More specifically, the pull-out mailboxinsert 120 has a front portion of mailbox insert 121, a lip 122 in thefront portion of mailbox insert 121 which extends a distance that ispartially up the height of the lip, an insert handle 1220 present on thelip 122, an interior portion 123, an insert floor 124, a left wall 125,a tab on left side wall of insert 1250, a right wall 126, a tab on leftright wall of insert 1260, an insert top surface 128, and a rollingassembly 129.

The interior portion 123 of the pull-out mailbox insert 120 contains themail 160 resting or deposited on the insert floor 124. The rollingassembly 129 allows the pull-out mailbox insert 120 to slide or rollgenerally in the longitudinal direction, on the housing floor 116 whenpulled forward or pushed backwards using the insert handle 1220 presenton the lip 122. The insert handle 1220 present on the lip 122 ofpull-out mailbox insert 120 can be attached at any suitable position onthe lip 122 and other handling mechanisms can also be adapted such asfinger openings or other pull structure. Further, the left wall 125 andthe right wall 126 contain tabs 1250 and 1260 to prevent the pull-outmailbox insert 120 from sliding too far inside the housing 110. When thepull-out mailbox insert 120 slides back into the housing 110, the tabs1250 and 1260 should catch the front edges of the side walls 112 and 113of the mailbox 110 to prevent the pull-out mailbox insert 120 from beingpushed too far back in the mailbox. Alternatively, the side walls of themailbox 120 may have spaces to catch tabs 1250 and 1260 at predeterminedpositions to prevent the pull-out mailbox insert 120 from being pushedtoo far back in the mailbox. Further, the tabs 1250 and 1260 may be madeup of metal, plastic, magnet or any other material and can be of anysuitable shape and size. Based on the size of the mailbox insert and theuser requirements, the tabs 1250 and 1260 can be positioned on the topsurface or back wall of the insert 120.

FIG. 3 illustrates perspective internal view of one embodiment of themailbox 100 having a pull-out mailbox insert 120 of the presentinvention showing internal parts in accordance with the disclosedinvention. The pull-out mailbox insert 120 comprises of the rollingassembly 129 including a set of two front wheels 1291 and a set of tworear wheels 1292, which enables the sliding of the insert 120 on thehousing floor 116 and within the interior of the receptacle. Morespecifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the housing 110 further comprises of adetachable rear wheel tab 117 present on the housing floor 116. Thedetachable rear wheel tab 117 is designed to prevent the pull-outmailbox insert 120 from falling outside the mailbox housing 110 byproviding hinderence to the motion of rear wheels 1292. The rear wheeltab 117 is placed on the housing 110, behind the position of two frontwheels 1291, which facilitates the pull-out mailbox insert 120 tocompletely extend out of the housing 110, and therefore, maximizing theconvenience of the users. Further, other suitable wheel lockingmechanisms can also be used to enable the advantages of the invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a bottom view of one embodiment of the mailbox 100having a pull-out mailbox insert 120 of the present invention showingrolling assembly 129 in accordance with the disclosed architecture. Morespecifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the pull-out mailbox insert 120further comprises of a rolling assembly 129 designed using four wheels;two front wheels 1291 and two rear wheels 1292 which are located at thebottom portion of the insert floor 124, and which provides a rollingcontact between the insert floor 124 and the housing floor. Thecoefficient of rolling friction is much less than the coefficient ofsliding friction, and a smooth insert movement is achieved. Further, themovable mailbox insert can be in a form of a trolley or cart that rideson a plurality of rollers, and the movable trolley moves easily into andout of a mailbox. If needed, a biasing element or other stop (not shown)can be added to prevent the overextension of the trolley or cart and tofacilitate the positioning of the insert back within the mailbox. Therolling assembly 129 slide on the housing floor when pulled forward orpushed backwards by a user. In an embodiment, the insert floor 124 isprovided with a series of parallel ribs (not shown) thereon to preventmail from adhering to the bottom wall as a result of rain or snowentering through the opening and with an optional pair of water drainageapertures therein for preventing water buildup thereon.

In a preferred embodiment, caster wheels can be used in rolling assembly129 as front wheels 1291 and rear wheels 1292. A caster (or castor) isan undriven, single, double, or compound wheel that is designed to beattached to the bottom of an object to enable the movement of thatobject. Front wheels 1291 and rear wheels 1292 can be used in varioussuitable sizes, and can be constructed using rubber, plastic, nylon,aluminum, or stainless steel. In an alternative embodiment, a pair ofsliding assemblies or tracks may be positioned on the sides of thepull-out mailbox insert 120, and/or the housing and attached to themailbox insert 120, to enable the mailbox insert 120 to slide partiallyout of the housing similar to a drawer in a cabinet.

FIG. 5 illustrates a side perspective view of one embodiment of themailbox 100 having a pull-out mailbox insert 120 of the presentinvention showing easy access from a vehicle 170 in accordance with thedisclosed structure. The mailbox 100 of the present invention enables auser to conveniently and safely retrieve mail 160 from a mailbox 100from a vehicle 170 without having to exit the vehicle 170 or unsafelyextend oneself outside the vehicle 170 window. More specifically, asshown in FIG. 5, a vehicle driver 172 can easily retrieve or delivermail 160 while being seated in the vehicle 170.

The pull-out mailbox insert 120 is preferably a one-piece unitintegrally molded from a plastic resin such as high density polyethyleneor a polypropylene and homopolymer mixture but it should be apparent tothose skilled in the art that it may be manufactured from other suitablematerials which exhibit weather resistant qualities and the desiredresiliency to permit the flexing movement. The pull-out mailbox insert120 of the present invention can be made in a variety of sizes toconform to the various standard U.S. mailbox sizes.

The present invention discloses a mailbox 100 having a pull-out mailboxinsert 120 with minimal features to reduce complexity, including nospring-loaded, and a rolling assembly 129 that is simple and slides withlower friction. The desired material for each member is a sturdy,weatherproof polymer, composite, metal, such as aluminum or steel, orplastic material that is readily useable outdoors throughout itslifetime and provides an inexpensive assembly for the user. Pre-drilledfastener locations allow the mailbox 100 to be easily installed on amailbox post 130 or to be supported from a hook or other acceptableinstallation options.

Further, the mailbox insert 120 may have a set of sensors (not shown)associated therewith for detecting the presence of envelopes, parcelsand the like therein. The sensors may comprise a photoelectric, motion,or mechanical sensor. Alternatively, the mailbox may be equipped with aradio frequency reader or other radio frequency functionality so that asmart phone could be scanned to gain access to the mailbox oralternatively to determine when the mailbox has received a package ormail which may be provided with a radio frequency identification tag.The mailbox insert 120 may be configured to activate an alarm whenarticles are detected in the mailbox insert. The alarm may take the formof an e-mail, voice mail, text message, LED or beeper alert. The sensorsor reader determine whether mailbox insert 120 has been added to or ispresent within the mailbox insert 120. For example, such sensors can beminiature photo-electric devices that transmit a beam to a reflectivetape on an opposing surface of the mailbox unit to show that somethinghas been inserted into or removed from the mailbox.

The present invention is therefore submitted as an inexpensive means ofimproving access to residential mailboxes, having a slider mechanism ofthe present invention provides a simply constructed and readilymanufacturable mailbox 100 that proves low cost, durable, convenient andof simple complexity for the user to install and maintain.

The mailbox 100 of the present invention may be installed by rural andsuburban homeowners and others desiring such a product. The mailbox 100assembly may be beneficial for the people inside vehicle, speciallyelderly or for those people with physical disabilities. Commercialbusinesses with roadside mailboxes may utilize the mailbox 100 ofpresent invention as well. While certain novel features of thisinvention have been shown and described and are pointed out in theannexed claims, it is not intended to be limited to the details above,since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications,substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the mailbox 100illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the artwithout departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

As described throughout this specification the term “mailbox” is used tomean a mailbox, newspaper box, receptacle or any other similar device.Also, the terms “insert,” “pull-out mailbox insert,” “extendableinsert,” “tray,” “drawer,” “sliding tray,” “telescoping,” or “slidinginsert” will hold the same meaning throughout the invention as denotedby numeral 120 in Figures. The moveable pull-out mailbox insert 120 ofthe present invention can be incorporated into new mailbox 100 or can besold as a kit and easily installed onto an existing mailbox 100.Finally, the moveable mailbox tray of the present invention isrelatively inexpensive to manufacture, and safe and easy to install anduse.

Notwithstanding the forgoing, the mailbox 100 of the present inventionand its various structural components can be any suitable size, shape,and configuration as is known in the art without affecting the overallconcept of the invention, provided that it accomplishes the above statedobjectives. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that theshape and size of the mailbox 100 and its various components, as show inthe FIGS. are for illustrative purposes only, and that many other shapesand sizes of the mailbox 100 are well within the scope of the presentdisclosure. Although dimensions of the mailbox 100 and its components(i.e., length, width, and height) are important design parameters forgood performance, the mailbox 100 and its components may be of any shapeor size that ensures optimal performance during use and/or that suitsuser need and/or preference.

What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subjectmatter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivablecombination of components or methodologies for purposes of describingthe claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art mayrecognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimedsubject matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter isintended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variationsthat fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in eitherthe detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to beinclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising”is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.

What is claimed is:
 1. A mailbox, comprising; a receptacle sized andconfigured to receive mail, packages and delivery parcels, thereceptacle having a base, sidewalls, a back, a top and a door; atelescoping insert including a tray having a base, sidewalls, a roof anda back, the insert sized and configured to fit within the receptacle;and the telescoping insert having a plurality of rollers positionedunder the base for repositioning of the telescoping insert within thereceptacle, and a plurality of tabs designed to prevent the telescopinginsert from being removed from the receptacle.
 2. The mailbox as recitedin claim 1, wherein the telescoping insert has a front lip opposite theback and extending partially up the sidewalls of the telescoping insert.3. The mailbox as recited in claim 2, wherein the front lip has a handleto facilitate grasping of the telescoping insert.
 4. The mailbox ofclaim 1, wherein the telescoping insert is sized and configured toreceive mail, packages and delivery parcels and is of a size andconfiguration less than the receptacle.
 5. The mailbox of claim 1,wherein the receptacle is formed of a rigid housing and is produced tomeet the standards set forth at USPS STD 7B01.
 6. The mailbox of claim1, wherein the insert has the minimum capacity requirements of 18.50″long×5.00″ wide×6.00″ high.
 7. The mailbox of claim 1, wherein thereceptacle includes one of a sensor or reader to indicate use of themailbox.
 8. The mailbox of claim 7, wherein the reader is a RFID readerfor reading mail, parcels or packages that have been tagged with RFIDtags.
 9. The mailbox of claim 7, wherein the sensor is one of aphotoelectric, motion, or mechanical sensor.
 10. The mailbox of claim 9,wherein the receptacle includes a reflective tape opposite thephotoelectric sensor.
 11. A mailbox having a slideable insert andcomprising: a receptacle having a first interior dimension and theslideable insert having a second interior dimension that is less thanthe first dimension such that the slideable insert is wholly containedwithin the receptacle; wherein the slideable insert is movable in alongitudinal direction from a first closed position from within thereceptacle to a second accessible position at least partially externallyextending from the receptacle; and wherein the receptacle and slideableinsert having one or more tabs or stops cooperatively engaging toprevent the slideable insert from being fully removed from thereceptacle.
 12. The mailbox of claim 11, wherein the slideable insert inthe second accessible position extends outwardly less than the firstinterior dimension.
 13. The mailbox of claim 11, wherein the receptacleincludes a sensor and the sensor is mounted on a sidewall of thereceptacle.
 14. The mailbox of claim 13, wherein the sensor is one of aphotoelectric, motion, or mechanical sensor.
 15. The mailbox of claim11, wherein the slideable insert is provided with a set of wheels at aforward edge of the slideable insert and a second set of wheels as arear edge of the slideable insert.
 16. The mailbox of claim 15, whereinthe one of the set of wheels is provided with a locking mechanism.
 17. Amethod of using a mailbox with a slideable insert comprising the stepsof; providing a mailbox having a slidable insert, the mailbox having afirst dimension and the slidable insert having a second dimension lessthan the first dimension and the slidable insert being wholly containedwithin the mailbox; sliding the insert outwardly in a longitudinaldirection to a first position; depositing mail, packages or parcels onthe insert; and sliding the insert inwardly in a longitudinal directionto a second position fully within the mailbox.
 18. The method of claim17, wherein the mailbox is provided with a sensor for indicatingactivity in the mailbox.
 19. The method of claim 17, wherein the insertis provided with one of sliders or rollers to allow the insert to movein a longitudinal direction from an inward position to a positionoutwardly of the mailbox.
 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the sensoris one of photoelectric, motion, or mechanical sensor.